Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising those issues.

The vaccination programme is a key part of exiting Covid-19 and endeavouring to bring life back to some degree of normality. The measures we adopted yesterday were essentially designed to continue to keep the pressure on the virus, particularly over the next four weeks, in order to reap a bigger dividend later in the summer, rather than taking risks now, which would have the consequence of increasing the prevalence of the disease and creating more pressure on our hospitals before the summer even starts. Such a scenario could potentially mean the rest of the summer would be mopping up if there was an escalation of cases and so forth. That is the thinking behind it, particularly as we are rolling out the vaccination programme.

We are into a different era in terms of the first three months. We always knew the volumes would be low but even that knowledge was compounded by the fact that we had difficulties with delivery schedules. AstraZeneca's supply and manufacturing issues are well known in respect of not fulfilling the European Union contracts.

That said the data is much stronger for the second quarter, April, May and June. The target is to have 80% not just offered vaccination but to get vaccinated by the end of June. The European Union has a figure of 70% across Europe, on average, to be fully vaccinated by the end of July. There will be an intense vaccination programme during the summer months. The situation is improving for the companies involved. The Halix plant has been authorised by the European Medicines Agency, EMA, which is significant for AstraZeneca's capacity to provide vaccines. Moderna has stronger manufacturing capacity within Europe, particularly in Switzerland. Pfizer-BioNTech has its Marburg plant in Germany. Johnson and Johnson's supply chain is independent of the US in terms of its contractual commitments to Europe. It means the national task force on vaccines is more confident in terms of supply lines and the delivery of vaccines. That focus will switch to the administration of far higher volumes of vaccines in the coming while.

With the evidence the national immunisation advisory committee, NIAC, has put together, it and NPHET are saying that the biggest factor in mortality and in severe illness arising from Covid is age. The change announced is about getting the most vulnerable in our society vaccinated as fast as we possibly can. It is about having no barriers or obstacles in the way of getting mass vaccinations done.

Many older teachers and key workers more generally, as well as the more vulnerable, will now be vaccinated more quickly.

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